A Man of Few Words
by Sweinhorse
Summary: He always was a man of few words; he preferred to speak with his actions and expressions. However, I have a plan to make him say three special words to someone very important to both of us.


He always was a man of few words; he preferred to speak with his actions and expressions. Despite what one might initially think of one who often doesn't speak, he has no trouble forming bonds with others. I may not have known him before he left Kokiri Forest, but I know he befriended Saria easily, even without relying on his voice. I've heard extensively about their adventures together, (from Navi, of course. Fairies apparently love their gossip.) embellished to the point where I don't know where the truth is. He never corrected her: instead, he would glance nostalgically towards the trees, always with a faint smile on his lips.

That isn't to say that he never spoke. To be honest, when we first met on Lon Lon Ranch, I didn't like him very much. It wasn't that he did anything wrong, but he wasn't Malon. But, once he played the song she always sang, I knew he could be trusted. He was still a child then, but he gently rubbed my muzzle and whispered two simple words: "good girl." Seven years later, when we met again, he did the same. His hands were rough and calloused, but his voice was deeper and softer.

He never spoke much to Navi—not because he didn't enjoy her company, but because there was no need to. The sapphire-colored fairy spoke enough for all three of us, and then some. We didn't mind her chatty, eccentric nature, though. It filled the silence of the days it took to travel, and she was very knowledgeable about any new enemies we encountered. He'd often respond to her words with a nod of understanding, but sometimes it would be a head shake of disagreement, a faint chuckle, a gentle smile or a sigh. He showed that he cared for her without using his voice. Sometimes it was the little things—letting her rest in his hat, or listening carefully to her over-embellished story for the third time. Other times, it was more significant—trusting her knowledge without question, guarding her from enemies, and finally, looking for her with me after she disappeared. Even now, seven years after saving Clock Town from Majora, he still looks for her, without giving up hope.

Speaking of hope, there's something… different about him around Princess Zelda. Something about him that lights up in a way that only happens while he is with her. Something that I notice and understand, (perhaps because I also don't communicate with the human language) while he still seems unaware. Or, perhaps he is aware, and just doesn't want to admit it. He doesn't speak much more with her than he does with me, yet it is written in his eyes. Their bond is reflected in the mark of their hands—a bond that can even transcend lifetimes. I often wonder if Navi or I will be reborn in the same way, as loyal companions to the hero. I've been thinking about it since he defeated Ganondorf and Princess Zelda reset those seven years. As if he can read my thoughts, he leans forward in the saddle and pats my neck. The people not directly involved have no memory of the time when Castle Town fell to Ganondorf, but I remember. Princess Zelda remembers. Navi remembered. The Sages remember. _He_ remembers. And I'm sure Ganondorf would have a hard time forgetting as well. Just thinking about the Gerudo King makes me misstep in my canter. "Easy, girl." His voice comes out in a whisper; the gentle baritone is soothing, even if the edges are a bit rough from not being used often. I regained my footing, but in that moment, an idea dawns on me.

I like Princess Zelda. She talks to me, gives me treats, and takes care of Link. She's gentle, wise, and spirited—unlike how I'd originally imagined a princess being. I also know that he likes Princess Zelda… perhaps more than he is willing to admit. I have a plan to make him confess it on his own, but unfortunately, it looks like it'll have to wait until tomorrow—it's getting dark, so Link will probably want to find a place to camp for the night. 

He slows me down by a stream that flows into Lake Hylia, quickly sniping a Poe before deeming the area good place to rest. He always takes care of me first when we camp out—dismounting and removing my saddle before anything else. Sometimes that's all that time allows for before we rest and have to move again. But, in times like these, he has time to take more care. He removes his leather boots and fingerless gloves, then pulls a brush out of my saddle bag while I drink from the stream. He dips the brush in the water farther downstream, then carefully brushes my fur to clean off the dirt and sweat. I can feel his hesitation as he traces over the multiple scars in my side from over the years. When I look at him, his face shows a mixture of guilt and admiration. I nuzzle him in response. His scars are much worse than mine. Even so, he always is ready to leap into action at a moment's notice. He understands me just as I understand him. He is my closest friend—he is caring and courageous. He…. Wait a minute. He _reeks._ I snort and jerk my head away from him. When was the last time he actually took care of his own hygiene instead of mine? I snort again. His selflessness would be kind of heartwarming if he didn't smell so terrible. There's _no_ way he can meet Princess Zelda like that. Granted, he doesn't know he's going to meet her. Oh well. Without warning, I head-butt him into the stream. Had he been on guard, it wouldn't have been enough for him to be unable to regain his balance. He made a noise of surprise before the tell-tale splash. After fumbling to retrieve his hat from the current, he makes an accusing face at me. I snort once more, so he finally sighs and smells himself. His face flushes instantly in embarrassment. "Sorry…" he mutters quietly. I nicker in response, and grab some nearby grass. He places his hat on the bank beside him and removes his tunic, laying it out. I watch him because I _know_ it makes him uncomfortable. Humans are odd, sometimes. He takes off his undershirt as well, revealing an impressive amount of scars on his chest, arms, and back. He rolled up his pants as best as he could under the water, refusing to fully undress in front of me. I suppose that was another quirk of humans, since he never has in all the years I've known him. It was slightly amusing at first, but the novelty has since worn off. Growing bored, I doze off trying to wait for him.

I wake up before him, for once. Usually, he becomes alert at the slightest sound, drawing his sword within a few seconds. Instead, he looks fairly peaceful, using his arm as a pillow. His clothes still appear a bit damp, but he was wearing them again anyway. His face looked slightly flushed, but his smile was peaceful. As much as I'm sure he was enjoying whatever his dream was, the sun was coming up, and I wanted to make sure I had time for my plan to work. I gently nudge his shoulder, and in an instant, he's on his feet with his left hand gripping his sword. After realizing it was only me, his posture relaxes. "Morning, girl." His voice is only a murmur as he strokes the side of my face. I shift around impatiently, and he realizes that I want to go somewhere. He shakes his head and smiles, then picks up my saddle. The saddle will make my plan more difficult, though, so I step away when he comes close to me with it. Confusion laces his features, which then turns into concern. He puts the saddle down and walks to my side, running callused fingers over my back in search of an injury. As much as I appreciate his concern, I don't want him to waste time. I nuzzle his neck to tell him that I'm okay, and I'm relieved to find that he smells normal again. A perplexed expression finds its way across his face once more. Shaking his head, he moves back towards the saddle. Quickly, I cut off his route. He sighs and throws his hands up in resignation. "Alright, fine." The slight annoyance in his tone makes me nuzzle his neck for forgiveness. He sighs and smiles—I knew he couldn't stay irritated. He pats me gently. "I know…" he begins while climbing onto my bare back, "you have a reason."

If he knew what my reason is, he probably would have resisted more. As soon as I feel him get his balance on my back, I bolt off towards Castle Town. To say that he's surprised is an understatement. At my initial movement, he nearly falls off. He's definitely suspicious of me now. Oh well—it's for his own good, even if he doesn't realize it yet. Once the bridge to get into Castle Town is in view, he tries to steer me off into the hidden back entrance to the castle. Which really wasn't an entrance, as much as how we usually snuck in to see Princess Zelda. But today, we were going to make a scene. I tossed my head and snorted, charging right over the bridge and straight through Castle Town. Since it's still early, there aren't many people awake, but he ducks his head in embarrassment away from the venders setting up their shops for the day. Despite his constant heroism, he never liked being the center of attention. It wasn't that he was shy—the mark on his hand was proof of that. He just didn't like it, as he deemed it unnecessary. Because of that, he found it embarrassing. And now that I passed the first couple of guards, he was about to have even more attention. "HALT! IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" one of the guards shouted at us. Link attempted to get me to stop, but I just tossed my head and bolted right by them. Honestly, did they think doing that would stop a bad guy? They should be thankful for the training. I hear them yelling commands and trying to chase after us, but they have no chance of catching up until I stop. Link's posture is unreadable at this point. He isn't encouraging me or discouraging me, much like he's given up. I let out a loud neigh as we near the castle, and slow down near the main door. I halt, and the guards catch up. They're out of breath and weakly aim their spears at Link, who already has his hands up in surrender. Princess Zelda bursts out the palace door, with a guard struggling to catch up behind her. "What is the meaning of all this commotion?!" she tries to keep her tone even, but she can't keep the shock and annoyance out of her voice. She locks eyes with Link before the guards can form a coherent sentence. "Link!" her tone changed to a mix of surprise and joy, as a small smile graces her lips. Her eyes narrowed into a glare as she looked back at the guards. "At ease! Do you still not recognize the Hero of Time? How disrespectful! Return to your posts immediately!" The ground soldiers, having no place to argue, reluctantly return to their posts. The one who followed her from the castle still voices an objection. "Your majesty, I hardly think that-"

"That goes for you, too. Return to your post. I am plenty capable of protecting myself, and even if I wasn't, the Hero of Time is by far more capable than any of you." Her tone is sharp and final. She's very kind to all the villagers and common people, but she gets easily annoyed with the guards, those who use their power to manipulate others, and most of all, those who doubt the Hero of Time. With a sigh, the final guard, who apparently was supposed to be a body guard, returned to the castle. As she turns back toward us, Link immediately slides off my back, drops to his knee and bows his head. "Princess…" he says in a quiet greeting as she makes her way over to him. She sighs, but smiles as she squats down to be at eye level with him, and raises his chin with her hand. "I'll admit, it's better than 'your majesty.' But, how many times do I have to tell you to simply call me Zelda?" He shrugs in response. Shaking her head, yet smiling, she stands back up and offers her hand to help Link up. She knows he doesn't need it, but he accepts it anyway. "What brings you here, Link?" She asks, genuinely curious in a calm voice. Link looks at me. "She…." His voice trails off as he shakes his head, realizing he has no words for what I put him through this morning. Princess Zelda chuckles as she walks towards me. "My apologies, Epona." She strokes the side of my face with her gloved hand, probably getting it covered in my sweat. "I did not realize you were the one who wanted to see me. What can I do for you?" I shift around on my hooves a bit impatiently. She looks to Link for clarification. "I think… she wants to show you something." Princess Zelda smiles at me.

"Is that so, Epona? I'll get a horse ready at the stable and follow you." I cut off her route much like I did to Link earlier. He recognizes it too—I see it in his eyes that he finally understands my behavior before.

"She wants to take us… Both." He looks at me, then at the sweat on my back. "But…." his voice trailed off. I didn't actually consider my sweat into this plan before. I know Link didn't mind, but he was worried about Princess Zelda's opinion.

"In that case, I happily accept." She smiles at me and kisses my nose before turning back towards Link. He mounts me with trained ease, then extends his hand to pull her up behind him. She pays no mind to my sweat which is probably staining her tights and beautiful pink dress, and wraps her arms around Link after a moment of hesitation. Then, I bolt again without warning, causing grip my mane tighter and steady himself with his other hand. I feel his pulse through his wrist, and it's much faster than usual. Whether it is because of my sudden movement, or that Princess Zelda clung to him for the same reason he clung to me, I'm not entirely certain. I'm hoping it's the later, though.

I ran until I neared a small clearing in the woods that Link and I had discovered while looking for Navi. I slowed down to a walk, looking at the lush grass and wildflowers that grew in the sun. To be honest, I mostly picked here because the flowers and grass are delicious, but I guess it's a pretty romantic setting, too—especially at night when the fireflies are out. I feel Link getting ready to dismount, and I know I have to quickly put phase two of my plan into action before he does. I quickly look around and pretend to see something scary, then rear up to throw the two off my back… Maybe with a little more force then I intended. Oops. I watch it in almost slow motion—as a reflex, he pulls Princess Zelda on top of him so he'll take the worst of the fall. That WAS the plan, but I couldn't help but wince when I heard him hit the ground. He's dazed for a few seconds—his blue eyes out of focus, but smiling kind of dumbly at the woman on top of him. Princess Zelda recovers first. "Ow… What happened? … Are you alright, Link?" She asks after pushing herself off his chest and seeing his face. He blinks a few times, then suddenly realizes the position he's in. I snort—this will be good. His whole body tenses up, and a bright red blush forms on his face, all the way to his ears. He turns his head to the side, refusing to look at her face. Immediately he stutters out an apology. Seeing his reaction, she blushed as well, (though not as violently as he) but made no motion to get up. She clears her throat before continuing. "Do you think something spooked her?" She asked, glancing towards me. I did my best to act skittish. Link turned towards me and eyed me very suspiciously. For once, I felt kind of nervous from his silence and shifted my weight between my hooves. After more consideration, he shook his head. "You mean she threw us intentionally? Why? Did carrying two of us get to be too heavy?" He shook his head again, but a bit more forcefully this time. That's good, because I wanted to protest that as well. "Then why?" she asked, clearly confused. Link sighed.

"She knows…" he began, but trailed off immediately after. The princess held her tongue, not wanting to interrupt as he rarely spoke. And Nayru's gift to her told her this was very important. She gave him a questioning look, silently urging him to continue. He sighed and hesitated, and I know it was him considering if it was wise to do so, not because he lacked the courage. He looked into her eyes and sighed before he continued, his voice dark and kind of rough from lack of use. "I love you, Zelda." he said as clearly as he could. She flushed again, from both a combination of his confession, and from the use of her name. She knew it was intentional—that he loved her for more than her status as a monarch. However, she did not seem surprised. Instead, she smiled gently and kissed his cheek. He, on the other hand, was very surprised, but that faded into more courage as he kissed her lips. As sweet as the gesture, I was getting kind of bored and hungry, so I nickered to remind them I was still there. They stopped immediately, and Princess Zelda rolled off him to walk over to me. Link followed right behind her. "Thank you, Epona," she began as she stroked my face with her gloved hand. Link ran his calloused fingers over my back. "You knew all along, right? I am truly thankful for you taking us here." He nodded in agreement. I nickered at them again, and moved on to phase three of my plan—eating the delicious grass and wildflowers here, while they wait to watch the fireflies.

He truly is a man of few words, as he prefers to communicate through his actions. However, he saves the words that are most important to say to those who are the most important to him. "… Thank you." 

_Author's Note: Wow, this is the first Fanfiction I've written in a long time. I started with the idea over the summer, but did not get around to finishing it until now. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed my first shot at a Zelda fanfic, and a crafty Epona. xD_


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